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I don't know -- you'd have to ask someone who is expert in those things, and he'd explain the "otherwise it'd look like this" in detail. I HAVE asked such a person, at length, so much at length in fact that I daren't ask anymore or I might get my head bit off. Frankly, he's sick of the subject and shrugs off people who don't see what is to him, obvious. Until he explained it, it wasn't quite so obvious to me though it struck me that the object was headed upward and then to the north west, according to the sun, but he's the pro on that and I'm not. However, I can only take so many lectures from this person who has taught perspective and lighting not just at college levels, but university levels (I just found out). So you might want to find your own source to answer the questions you put forth.

He says the lighting and perspective show that it's a vertical plume of an object heading north-west, more precisely, west north-west. Since he makes a living knowing such things, I'll take his word for it over guys like Rob, TX and Mu, I believe NONE of whom have ever seen an actual missile launch, and I believe whose first-hand knowledge of L.A. area skies (and their contrails!) is limited to nonexistent. Though all three certainly have a high opinion of their own abilities!

Bwahahahahahahahah ~ another person who thinks I have NO experience hanging around the Southland. Oh, what an idiot ~ look, I bet I've had more In-and-Out burgers, and messed around more piers more times than he has.

Think I'll call the In-Laws and see what they have to say about this. Good grief, I've even seen a Mexican Eagle flying through Oceanside/Vista/Carlsbad cruising for little puppy dogs to eat.

You don't get to see that with quick landings and takeoffs.

It's a contrail of a plane coming toward the photographer. This is just at Sundown as the Sun has slipped below the horizon. It's still lighting up the contrails and the airplanes though.

>>I’ll take his word for it over guys like Rob, TX and Mu, I believe NONE of whom have ever seen an actual missile launch, and I believe whose first-hand knowledge of L.A. area skies (and their contrails!) is limited to nonexistent. Though all three certainly have a high opinion of their own abilities!<<

What is his area of specialty, again? Also, “experts” come down on both sides of this, which begs the question, “what makes someone an expert, exactly?”

Plenty of “experts” who are very familiar with contrails in LA have said that not only is this an aircraft contrail, but it is not the first they have seen that looks like this, nor will it be the last.

Regarding your “expert”, “Of education, knowledge and wisdom, the least is education and the greatest is wisdom.” - Robroy.

Also.
Argumentum Appeal to Authority:
http://onegoodmove.org/fallacy/aa.htm

“While sometimes it may be appropriate to cite an authority to support a point, often it is not. In particular, an appeal to authority is inappropriate if:

1. the person is not qualified to have an expert opinion on the subject,
2. experts in the field disagree on this issue.
3. the authority was making a joke, drunk, or otherwise not being serious “

Is your friend a contrail or cloud formation expert? And is that enough if all he got was the “raw” video?

Ask your “expert” why the shadow of the contrail on the lower parallel cloud/haze layer in the op snapshot matches the contrail precisely.

The answer is that both the contrail and the cloud layer are parallel to each other. BTW, they are also parallel to the earth.

But don’t tell him/her the answer. See if he/she can figure it out for themself. ;)